Automobile-buffer.



A. L. MGGREGOR. AUTOMOBILE BUFFER. APPLICATION FILED MAY5,1911.

1 1 03,98 1 Patented July 21, mm

15 s zais ,inwardly disposed fiat horizontal web, the

ALLAN L. MCGREGOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE-BUFFEE.

iososl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 39nd.

Application filed May 5, 1911. Serial No. (325,342.

Be it known that l, ALLAN L. MoGnEeon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antoniobile-Bulfers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buffers or bumpers used on automobiles, and has reference more particularly to that type of buffer now quite extensively used, wherein a horizon tally disposed buffer-bar is yieldably mounted upon and in advance of the forwardly projecting ends of the machine frame.

The leading object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and eliicient device for: the purpose stated, capable of ready application to the machine frame without the necessity of drilling or cutting the latter to accommodate the attaching means, and wherein the buffer-bar itself shall be capable of vertical adjustment, within certain limits, relatively to the forward endof the machine frame.

A minor object of the invention is to provide a novel and inexpensive form of bufferbar itself, and one which may easily be made adjustableto differing widths of machine frame. r

My invention, its structural features, mode of use, and practical advantages, will all be apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one practical forlnin which the invention may be dressed, and in which- Figure l is a top plan view of my improved automobile buffer, showing the same as mounted on the forward end of the vehicle frame,.and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view mainly in side elevation, but with the bufferbar appearing in cross section.

Referring to the drawing, 1.0 designates the forwardly and downwardly curved end portions of theusual side bars of the ma chine frame, to the forward ends of which are pivoted, by hinge-bolts 11, the usual semi-elliptic springs 12.

13 designates the buffer-bar. In the preferred form of this bar it is made with an bar herein shown being of T-bar form with its central web 13 disposed inwardly or toward the front end of the vehicle. The web 13 is provided with two series of bolt the forked heads 15 ends of the holes 14 to facilitate the attachment thereto of a pair of buffer-bar carrying arms 15 which, as herein shown, have forked forwa rd ends or heads 15 that straddle the web 13 and are apertured to receive fastening bolts 16 that pass through one of the holes i l of the buffer-bar near the opposite ends of the latter.

The carrying arms 15 are guided and sup ported in a pair of hollow bars 17, which latter are rigidly secured at their inner ends to apair of clamps mounted on the -sidc bars 1.0, the bars 17 projecting in a substantially horizontal direction forwardly of said clamps, and being secured to the latter with capacity for angular adjustment, so as to vary, within certain limits, the height of the bar 13 relatively to the forward end of the vehicle frame.

The clamps herein shown comprise a pair of upper and lower clamp-plates l8 and 19 engaging respectively, sides of the side bar 10, and apertured at the upper and lower.

their four corners to receive clampbolts 20.

0n the upper clamp-bar 18 is an integral upstanding lug or ear 21 formed on one side with a ratchet face 21 which cooperates with a similar ratchet face 17 formed on the inner end of the guiding and supporting bar 17. The said ratchet faces are drawn tonether by a screw-bolt 22, whcrebv the bars 17 are rigidly held in any angularly adjusted position.

As above stated, the carrying arms 15 have a sliding engagement within the forward end portions of the guiding and sup porting; bars 17, and are encircled. by cashioninp; springs 23 that abut at their inner ends against the forward ends of the bars 17, and at their forward ends abut against of the arms 15, thereby normally maintaiuingthe butfer'bar and its carrying arms project-ed forwardly of the supporting and riding members 17. To confine the arms against displacement under the thrust of the springs, the inner arms 15 are provided with cotter-pins 24. that abut against the inner ends of. the forward sleeve portions of the bars 17 formed by slreletonizing said bars some distance back of their forward ends.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that my improved buffer is of simple and economical construction, and is capablepfv a considerable ran 'e of adjustmentbothyertically and horizontally of the forward end of the machine frame, the vertical adjust ment being effected by a relative turning of the cooperating ratchet members 21 and 17, and the horizontal adjustment being effected by shifting the clamps longitudinally of the side frame bars 10. At the same time the use of a ribbed or Webbed form of buffer-bar facilitates the attachment of the latter to the carryingarms, and especially the adjustment of such carrying arms to varying widths of machineframe.

It will 'be'evident to those skilled in. the art that the particular forms and relative arrangements ofthe parts described might be varied in detail. Without involving any; departure t'fom the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. Hence,-l do not: limit the invention to the particular structure herein disclosed.

except to the extent clearly indicated in specific claim.

I claim An automobile buiter comprising, in comhination, a buffer-bar, clamps adapted to be secured to the side bars of the vehicle frame,

-'rearwardly extending buffer-liar carrying arms, hollow bars in which said carrying arms are slid-ably mounted, cooperating ratchet plates on-said clamps and the inner ends of said hollow. bars, respectively, a tightening bolt, extending through said ratchet plates, and cushioning springs surrounding said arms and abutting against the forward ends of said hollow bars, sub stantia-lly as described.

ALLAN L. MCGREGOR. Witnesses SAMUEL N. PoND, DAISY C, 'THORSEN. 

